US1299368A - Packing structure. - Google Patents

Description

P. H. IVIACK.

PACKING STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION man AuGm` 1915.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

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` or zones of substantially PATRICK H. MACK, BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNOR T0 OIL WELL SUPPLY COMPANY, OFPITTSBURG-H, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANM PACKING STRUCTURE.

,Lacasse Specification of Letters Patent.

Application mea august si, 1915. serial No. 48,224.

To all 'whom 'it may concern.'

Be itknown thatFI, PATRICK H. MACK, a

`citizen of the United States, residing at Bradford, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Packing Structures, of which the following is-a speciication.

This invention relates to packing structures and more particularly to structures employed in the packing of Wells. While the invention is designed more particularly for use in connection with Well packers, plugs, etc., and is particularly described herein in connection therewith, the general princi les of the Iinvention may be employed in ot er connections, the invention not being limited to this particular use.

Well packing devices, under present practice, are of different types, the packing elementor member generally employed being in the form of an elongated cylinder usually made `of rubber, the cylinder being mounted on an 'inner unyielding member such as a tube, and being designed to be expanded into contact with the wall of the well at the proper point therein. As the packer 'must have a free movement within the well in reaching the desired point, the packing ele'- ment or member has a normal thickness insufficient to bridge the space between the tube and the Well walls. 'Io produce the packin relation between the tube and well wall, 1t

.is the practice to expand the packing member by movements of acompressin element in the direction of length of the tuge.

In expanding theA member to provide this contact lwith the walls -of the well, there is a tendency to produce a space between the packing member and the tube through the bulging effect produced by the action of the compressing member. sults in decreasing the ability of the packing member to resist leakage between the member and the wall of the well, sincethe resistance of the packing member itself becomes variable through the absence of a rigid suppo't between the packing member and the tu e.

' The present invention is designed to overcome these ditiiculties by, producing a zone uniform resistancewithin the packing member intermediate its ends, this result being obtained by the employment of one ormore rigid members positioned by the compression action of the pack- This, obviously, re-

ing member itself, such tend bers the resistance is built up to approximately balance the pressure applied. rIhis eiiect is produced regardless of the conditions of service, since the proper building up of resistance actionfisprovided through the-eEect placed on the packing member during. its compression. As a result, a zone or zones of substantially uniform resistance are produced, the packer structure Within each zonebeing solid between the well wall andthe supporting tube, thereby eiectually preventing any compressing action ing to move the rlgld member or meminward yielding of the packin member sacient to provide any material the zonal-Contactin area.

To these and ot er ends, the nature of which will be readily understood as the invehtion is hereinafter disclosed, said invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. c

In the accompanying drawing, in which similar reference characters indicate similar eakage within Aparts in` each of the views,

Figure 1 is an enlarged sectional view showing a simple arrangement of parts for providlng the desired result, the' parts being shown in unexpanded position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the packing expanded. Y

Fig, 3 is a vertical sectional view of yone form of well packer having thev present 1nvention applied thereto.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of a diderent type of packer showing the invention applled thereto. v

Referring more particularly to Fi 1 and 2, representin a simple way in w present invention may be carried out, 10 represents a tube threaded at one end to rece1ve a compressin member 11. 12in'd1cates the packing mem er mounted on thetube, belng positioned between the compressmgmember 11 and a member 13 the latter bemg held against movement; the member 13. 'may be considered, for the purpose of explaining the invention, as a fixed member. lAs shown, the

in the direction of least resistance until4 ith the' llo members 11 and 13 are preferably provided Y the member 11 inwardly, the distance between the members 11 and 13 will be defor ready insertion on the creased, thus expanding the member 12, with a tendency to form a space between the interior of the member 12 and thetube.

For the purpose of producing the zone or zones of substantially uniform resistance, l preferably employ one or more members 14 freely movable on the tube and having an outer surface preferably curved in cross section from top to bot-tom, these members being free to move on the tube excepting as such movement is rest-rained by reason of contact of the members with the packing member 12. These members 1l preferably have a normal position with respect to the packing member, this being produced by providing complemental annular recesses within the packing member in suitable manner. For instance, the packing member may be formed about the members 1i, thus locating-them as a part of the packing member tube, the members 1l, however, not being tixedly positioned within they packing. Or, the interior of the packing member may be formed with grooves complement-alto the members 1l and the latter afterward placed in position.

rthe number of be employed will depend upon the length of the packing member. 1n order to produce the desired result, l preferably employT at least two of such members within the packer.

lVith the parts assembled as indicated in 1, threading of the member 11 inwardly will tend to decrease the length of the packing member while expanding it. Since the members llare free to move on the tube, any material change in the direction of length of the packing member 12 will cause movements A of action of the walls of the recesses of member 12. rlhus, when this compression action is had, its eect is immediate on the upper and lower ends of the packing member 12', tending to force the upper end of the packing member inwardly and thus providing pressure on the upper side of the top member 14; Slnce the latter is unyielding, being preferably formed of metal, this action will tend to force this member downwardly and thus shift its point of greatest diameter downwardly, and tending to crowed the material of the packing outwardly at this point. This action also takes place in connection with the remaining members 1-1, tending to 'crowd the packing outwardly'by attemptmg to shift the relative positions of the members 14 with respect to the walls of the recesses, the ylength of movement of succeedmg members 11 decreasing, thereby producing a relative movement between members. While there might be a tendency to decrease the cross sectional width of the recesses or grooves under this compressing members 1l which may the members 1l under the Lacasse action, the fixed configuration'of members 14; prevents such' action, so that there is also a crowding of the packing material between adjacent members 14, these members 1-1 shifting their positions in the directions of least resistance under the action of the packing member itself, thereby positioning the members 14 at such points as require the presence of the support, it being clear that if resistance to member-movements is equal on all sides of a member l-l, the radial support for the packing material is complete, and at points where resistance to movements of a member l-i is less than at other points, the member will move in such direction until resistance again substantially equalizes, thus producing the zone of substantially equal resistance.

From the above, it will be understood that the members 1i have what may be considered a floating actionwith respect to the tube, and may be considered as floating ribs for the tube, even though they may be. carried by the packing itself, as heretofore referred to.

The present invention may be applied to vvarious uses, being particularly adapted for use in connection with well packers. For instance, in' Fig. 3, ll have shown it applied to a packer of the type disclosed in my companion applica-tion, tiled Marchi), 1915,*Serial #12,30% the packer in this case being one set solely by rotation of a tool, the form shown being that1 of a packing plug at the bottom. of a well, a position where the plug mustretain its position independent of anyweight and against the action of pressures. Int-his form, the packing member is setby the rotation of a threaded stem a working ina sleeve a', this action causin'g the cap a2 to be moved inwardly to compress the packing member, the fixed or opposing member being indicated at a3.

ln Fig. 4, l have shown the invention as applied to a packer which is adapted to be set by the superimposed weight ofl the upper sections, a structure disclosed in the patent to P. H. and F. H. Mack, #1,145,155, July 6, 1915. In this arrangement, the packing member is set by the weight of the superimposed sections vhen the lower end of the packer reaches an abutment within the well. In this view, the fixed member is indicated at b and the movable member at b.

lVhile I have shown the application of the invention in connection with these two forms only, it will be obvious that it may also be employed in connection wth'other types. v

That 1 claim is 1. In combination, packing member external of the tubular member and. adapted to be Aset between opposing surfaces having a spaced distance greater than the thickness of the member,

a tubular member, "a.

lltl) means for expanding the member by com-` y expanding theJ packing,

- ing the body, means pression-inthe direction of member length,

and rigid means loosely carried by the packing and rendered 'operative by the compressing action of the member for establishing substantially uniform resistance substantially throughout lthe length of the packing member. Y

2. In a well packer, a tubular body member, a compressible packing element embraclfor compressing and expanding the packin a plurality of rigid ring members loosely carried by the packing, said rings rendered operative to effect a wedging action by the compressing action of the packing for establishing substantially uniform resistance throughout the length of thepacking. i

3. ln a Well packer, a tubular body mem.- ber, a compressible packing element einbracing the body, means for compressin and a plurality o rigid ring members loosely carried by the packing and disposed in contact with the body member, said rings rendered operative to effect a wedging action by the compressin action of member. external by a compressing action thereon,-

l port,'means for expan combination,

-member in its expandedgposition,

the packing for establishing su tantially uniform resistance throughout the length of the packing.

4. In packing structures for wells and in combination, a tubular member, a packing of the tubular member and adapted to be moved to packing position, means for expanding the packing member by a: compressing action thereon, and rigid wedging means interposed between the packing and tubular with respect to the tubular member and the packing member for effecting a wedging action on` and supporting the packing member in its expanded position. 5. In packing structures for wells and in atubular member, a packing member external ofthe tubular member and adapted to be moved to packing position, 'means for expanding the. packing member gid wedging means inter osed between the packing and tubular mem ers and freely movable with respect to the tubular member and the packing. member for supporting the said wedging means being movable'toward each other and renderedfactiveby the expanding action of the packing member.

6. In packing structures for wells/and in combination,l a packin member and its supr by a compressmg actlon, and a plurality of loosely mounted rigid terposed between the'packing member and itssupport and movable in contact vwith and in the direction'of'length of the support by e compressing' action." of the packing for producing a substantially uniform resistmembers and freely movable' Irlphery, and a packing ing the packing memwedging means inance for the packing member substantially throughout its length.

In packing structures for wells and in combination, al packin member and its support, means for expan ing the packing memer by a compressing action, and loosely mounted rigid Wedging meansinterposed between the packing member and its support and movable relatively to and in the direction of length of the support for producing a substantially uniformV resistance for the packing member substantially throughout its length, the movement of said Wedging means being controlled by the packing member.

8. In packing structures for wells and in combination, a packing member and its support, means for expanding the packing member by compression, and loosely mounted vwedging means between the packing member and its support for supporting the expanded portion of the packing member, said Wedgingmeans being in the form or' annular members freely movable with respect to the packing member support, and having portions loosely engaging the packing member, said Wedging means rendered operative by the compressing action of the packing.

9. lln combination, a packing member, a

tubular member for normally supporting the packing member, means for compressing the packing member to increase its diameter, and wed ing means between the packing and tubu ar members, said packing member having recesses on its inner periphery conforming to and adapted to receive the wedging means, said wedging means being in contact with the tubular member and rendered operative by the compressing action of the packing member. v Y 10. lln' packing structures for wells, a packing member adapted to be expanded and having tubular recesses on its inner perigid Wedging member for and loosely positioned within each recess, said rigid member beingfree to move relatively to said packing member.

11. ln packing structures for wells, a packing memb and having tubular recesses on itsinner periphery, and a rigid wedging member for and loosely positioned within each recess, said rigid member being free to move relative to said packing member, said rigid member having an internal diameter approximatlng the normal internal diameter/ofthe packing member.

said rigid member being free to tnove rela- :tive' to said packing member, saidrecesses having a configuration ,complemental to the er adapted to be expanded i external configuration of the rigid meinbers.

13. In packing structures for Wells, a packing member adapted to be expanded and having tubular recesses on its inner periphery, and a rigid Wedging member for and loosely positioned within each recess, said rigidmember being free to move relative to said packing member, said rigid members each having its outer periphery curved in the direction of member axis.

14. ln packing structures for Wells, a

packing member adapted to be expanded and having tubular recesses on its inner periphery, and a rigid Wedging member for and loosely positioned Within each recess, said rigid member being free to move relative to said packing member, said rigid members each having its oppositev ends of least thickness, the recesses of the packing member corresponding in contour tothe external contour of the rigid members.

in testimony whereof, l affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

' PATRCK H. MACK.

lWitnesses T. J. FENNERTY,

C. A. SPRETER.

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